Shoe



Patented Nov. 4, 1941 SHOE John B. Reinhart and John B. Reinhart, Jr.,

Kirkwood, and

Albert C. Bollmann and Kenneth G. Schneider, St. Louis, Mo.,

asslgnors to Trimi'oot Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 30, 19.40, Serial No. 372,312

(Cl. 36p- 8.5)

1 Claim.

This invention relates to high shoes, as distinguished from low cut shoes or oxfords. One inherent objectionable feature or characteristic of the conventional high shoe. is that the portion of the upper located above the counter or counter zone, has a tendency to wrinkle, break down and lose its shape, due to the fact that the leather from which the upper is constructed and the fabric that constitutes the inner lining of the shoe, are not stii enough'to successfully resist the strains to which this portion of the shoe is subjected in the normal use of the shoe. This not only detracts greatly from the appearyance of the shoe, but it is also liable to cause or produce foot trouble, inasmuch as the wrinkled or crunched portion of the upper tends to force the users foot forwardly, with the result that the users toes are crowded too far forwardly into the toe portion of the shoe, and the users heel is shifted forwardly ofi of the portion of the shoe sole on which the users heel is intended to rest. The foregoing is true of al1 types and kinds of high shoes, irrespective of whether or not a substantially stii member or counter is built into the portion of the shoe upper immediately adjacent the heel end or rear end portion of the shoe sole. l

The main object of our invention is to provide a high shoe in which the portion of the upper located above the counter or the counter zone, is reinforced and strengthened in a novel manner that eectively prevents this portion of the upper from wrinkiing, crunching, br assuming such a shape or form that the users .foot is liable to assume an improper position in the shoe.

Another object is to provide a high shoe that will support and hold the heel and toes of the users foot in the position they are intended to occupy, and also have a sufficiently snug fit around theusers ankle to support the same and hold it rigid.

And stili another object of our invention is to provide an inexpensive high shoe, which is of such construction that even after the shoe has been subjected to long or hard usage, the portion of the upper above the counter or the counter zone, will vbe free from wrinkles and maintained in snug engagement with the portion of the users foot encased by same. K

"The invention is applicable to various ,types and styles of high shoes, constructed from various kinds of materials, and equipped with various types and kinds of soles. We have herein illustrated the invention applied to a childs high shoe of the blucher type whose upper extends above the users ankle. but we wish it to kbe understood that the invention is also applicable to adults high shoes.

Figure 1 of the drawing view of our improved shoe.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the reinforcing and strengthening member that is attached to the inner lining of the shoe; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the general shape or form of said re-inforcing andstrengthening member. l In the drawing, A designates as an entirety the upper of a high shoe, and B designates the sole iof said. shoe. Our inve tion consists in is a side elevational equipping a high shoe with an upper re-inforcing device C of the general shape or design shown in Figure 3, arranged on the interior of the shoe and extending continuously or unbrokenly from the sole ofthe shoe to the top edge of the upper,` so as to preventthe portion of the upper located above the counter or the counter zone, from wrinkling or 'breaking down. Preferably, the reinforcing and strengthening member C is provided with two forwardlyeprojecting armsl that draw the top edge of the upper snugly around the users foot and exert a forward pull on the counter or counter zone of the shoe. with the result that the rear end portion of the shoe will conform accurately to the shape of -the users foot, and theportion of the upper located above v the counter or counter zone will be prevented.

' effectively from Wrinkling, breaking down, or losof the shoe, as' shown in Figure 2. The other ing-its shape when the shoe is in use.

Usually the member C will be formed of. leather and arranged on the interior of the shoe in superimposed relation with the shoe lining, said member .C being attached at its bottom edge by. stitches, or in any other suitable way, to the sole marginal edges ofthemember C are permanently fastened by stitches -m to the upper or to the lining of the shoe. However, the particular material of which theVV member C is formed and thev particular way saidmember is built into the shoe are immaterialgi.: We prefer to construct the` member C from -f-'asin'gle piece of leather or other suitable .ilexible'j'sheetfmateriaL cut or designed so that it comprises 1a lower portion of the approximate shapeor -outline of a conventional shoe counten-angupper portion that constitutes a horizontally-,disposed band around the top edge of the shoe upper. andan integral intermediate web that joinssaid top; and bottom portions together. As shown in the drawing, the bottom portion of the member C, which is attached to the sole portion of the shoe, is o! substantial height and extends forwardly to a point adjacent the breast line of the heel or heel portion of the shoe sole B. Said counter-shaped bottom portion embraces or surrounds the heel seat portion of the sole and it projects upwardly a considerable height before merging into the web portion of the member C that extends upwardly at the rear side of the shoe upper. When the shoe is in use, the forwardly projecting arms I of the `member C that are stitched or otherwise securely attached to the top edge portion of the shoe upper, co-operate with the vertically-disposed web and the counter-shaped lower portion of the member C to produce a re-inforcing and strengthening device, which not only insures that the shoe will snugly it the users foot, but which has the added desirable characteristics of preventing the users socks from wrinkling and preventing 4the users toes from being crowded forwardly into the toe portion of the shoe. due to breaking down of the portion of the shoe upper located above the counter zone of the shoe. If the shoe is provided with a conventional stii counter and a fabric inner lining, the member C is preferably superimposed on said inner lining. so that it constitutes part of the exposed inner surface of the shoe, the lower portion of the member C co-operating with the shoe upper to form a housing or pocket for the stiff counter. Obviously, the fabric inner lining ofthe shoe may be omitted, without departing from the spirit of my invention. In certain types of shoes. for example, baby shoes, it is not necessary to employ a stiff counter. inasmuch as the member C, after being attached to the sole and to the upper of the shoe, imparts sui'cient strength or stiffness to the portion of the upper located above the counter zone, to maintain the original shape or form of this portion of the upper and prevent it from crunching under the strains to which this portion of the upper is subjected when the shoe is in use.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A high shoe provided with an upper that extends upwardly above the users ankle, and a reinforcing and strengthening member of nonelastic, pliable material arranged at the rear end ot the shoe on the interior of same. so as to constitute part of the inner surface of the shoe, said re-inforcing and strengthening member comprising the following parts: (1) a bottom portion of approximately the shape or outline of a conventional shoe counter, attached to the sole portion of the shoe in the zone of the heel seat and terminating at its front end adjacent the breast line of the shoe heel; (2) a top portion extending continuously around and secured to the top edge portion of the upper of the shoe; and (3) a vertically-disposed web portion integrally connected to said top and bottom portions and co-operating with the same to prevent wrinkling or breaking down of the portion of the shoe upper located above the counter zone of the shoe.

JOHN B. REINHART. JOHN B. REINHART, Ja.

ALBERT C. BOLLMANN. KENNETH G. SCHNEIDER. 

